The present invention relates to a technology for executing a computer job, and more particularly to a technology for executing a job on a computer in a computer environment differing from the environment for a computer into which the job is loaded.
In recent years, outsourcing is increasing conducted to reduce costs in the purchase and supply of services, software, and infrastructure. “On-demand” computer use is proposed for using necessary computer resources when needed and paying the charge for computer resource use. Work is being increasingly outsourced so as to use computers in a data center, utility center, or other computer center having abundant computing resources. It is believed that this trend will be accelerated when the grid computing technology is applied to the field of business. The problem is how to reduce the burden on the user while maintaining flexibility to satisfy the user's demand when executing an application or program possessed by the user at a computer center that is in a different execution environment.
Currently operated computer centers offer a manual method and automatic method for expanding computer resources in compliance with a user request. The manual method uses a simple interface, whereas the automatic method handles load and other values as parameters. The invention disclosed by U.S. patent publication No. 0056462/2001 provides a method for automatically preparing an implementation environment for an application and executing the application. This method works on the presumption that a Java virtual computer exists (Java is a registered trademark of Sun Microsystems in the U.S.). If a necessary application is not found on a computer for application execution, this method automatically downloads the application from a server and starts it. The method assumes the use of a virtual computer and downloads environment parameters to obviate the necessity for reconstructing a computer environment. Further, the method reduces the burden on the user by automatically downloading a necessary application. As described above, the method saves the user the bother of constructing a computer environment while complying with a user request for computer resource expansion.